Saying I Love You
by Kainani
Summary: Rukia knew who was the one for her, but she knew Ichigo wasn't ready for her yet. Love finally blossoms for them in the middle of a life and death battle with Grimmjow. Side story to Protecting What's Precious. IchiRuki
1. Chapter 1: Rukia

This is a side story to one of my other stories, Protecting What's Precious. It was originally meant to be a one shot, but in the end I guess it's going to be about three chapters long.

My Beta didn't look this one over for me so please excuse any errors there might be.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach!

* * *

Chapter 1: Rukia

Sometimes it only takes a moment for your world to change forever. A single event can alter the choices and decisions of everyone involved, and something that may have led to nothing becomes the most important thing to ever happen to you. Fate has always brought people into my life in the most surprising ways, so I guess the fact that my one true love only realizes we were meant to be in the middle of a battle just goes to show how a-typical our relationship is. Even so, that was the wonderful day that I started down a path I never imagined or hoped to ever be on, and I know I'll never regret it.

Rukia

____________

"This is lame, Rukia," Ichigo Kurosaki complained to his closest friend, Rukia Kuchiki, as they picked there way through the rubble of what used to be the North 23rd Rukon district. They were helping to search for survivors after an impromptu battle between some of the remaining Arrancar and Captain Kenpachi Zaraki had leveled the area. It had been four years since the Winter War had started and it was hopefully now nearing its end, but until everything was ready for their last siege against Hueco Mundo everyone was simply preparing for the battle to come. Rukia knew that Ichigo was impatient for everything to start so that they could defeat Aizen and the last remaining Arrancar forces. She knew that he longed to insure everyone's safety from their plans, but the waiting was what was making him irritable. His impatience had turned him into a nuisance, so the other Captains had asked him and Rukia to take care of this task to help keep him occupied until they were ready to begin. Rukia stopped walking and turned to glare angrily at him. He had stopped a few paces behind her with a very annoyed expression on his face, obviously refusing to budge another step. "We should be preparing to end this stupid war with the others instead of wandering around through some deserted ruins. They've sweeped this place four times already! Don't you think they've found everyone by now?"

_Why do I care so much for this impatient idiot? _Rukia thought in annoyance as she let out a noisy sigh.. She knew where her heart belonged, but at times like these she questioned her sanity in choosing Ichigo. He was still stubborn and they often fought about every little thing, but then again, maybe that was why she loved him. He always made her feel at ease and she never felt any urge to hide who she truly was when she was with him. She had often thought about confessing her feelings to him, but she knew that Ichigo's wasn't ready for her yet. He was still a lot younger than her, and in the span of a few short years his life had been turned completely upside down because of events she had set into motion when they had met. She didn't want to burden him with anything else until he was ready, so she could wait, and hopefully the day that he would be ready for her would come soon. _I just hope he gets less irritating or else I might accidentally kill him before I can confess anything to him._

"Would you just shut up and quit complaining already!" she snapped impatiently as she glared angrily up at him, he was so insanely tall compared to her that her only hope of ever arguing with him face to face was if she cut his legs off at the knees with her Zanpakutou. She placed her hand unconsciously on the hilt of her sword, as she seriously contemplated doing it because although she loved him, they had been having this argument for the past half an hour and she was at her limit with his attitude. "Orders are orders, and the Captains are perfectly capable of completing the plans against Aizen without you. Besides, the last team found a couple of people still trapped in the ruins so it's very likely that there may still be some people here."

"Whatever, Rukia," he snapped back as he bent closer towards her small frame so he could argue directly into her face. "I still feel that we're wasting our time out here. We should be getting ready for the battle somehow instead of wandering around here."

"If that's the case you idiot, then you should have kept your mouth shut! It's _your _fault that we're out here instead of preparing with the others because _you _were threatening to storm Hueco Mundo with or without everyone's help!" Rukia retorted back as she stretched herself as far as her small frame would allow so that she could practically bite his nose off as she spoke. "But I'll say this slowly so that even an idiot like you can understand! There... really... may... be... people... here... so... SHUT UP AND HELP ME LOOK FOR THEM ALREADY!!!!"

She emphasized her words by making a graceful leap into the air and then bashing him with all her strength on the top of his head. She often hit him when he frustrated her because she felt that the only way she could ever make him understand any sense was by ramming it into his stubborn skull. Rukia glared at his crumpled form for a few seconds before she turned on her heels and started to walk away.

"Hurry up, Ichigo," she said casually, as if she hadn't just given him brain damage by hitting him so hard. "It looks like it's about to rain and I'd like to get this done before anythi...."

Just then they were stopped short by a powerful reiatsu that suddenly beat down on them like the unforgiving sun in the desert.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Rukia looked up in fear and saw a familiar blue haired figure suspended in the air above them. He was dressed in his tattered white Arrancar uniform and she could see the sky behind him through the hole in his stomach. He sneered hungrily at them as he stood above them with his hands casually in his pockets.

"Grimmjow!" Rukia shouted as she drew her Zanpakutou, Sode no Shirayuki, in preparation for battle. "What are you doing here?"

She may as well have been yelling at the rocks around her instead of him because he didn't even glance in her direction. All of Grimmjow's attention was focused on Ichigo, and she was certain that he was here to kill him. He had held an insane obsession with Ichigo ever since he had defeated him at the beginning of the war. The fact that Ichigo had also saved his life right after seemed to have fueled his need to beat him even more. Grimmjow had returned the favor by saving them from an ambush that some of the Arrancar had planned, but after that he had said that his debt was paid and his only goal from now on would be to defeat Ichigo with his own two hands. She turned slightly to shout a warning to Ichigo, but Grimmjow suddenly disappeared from his spot in the sky and materialized right in front of her. _  
_  
_Damn!_ _This is bad, _was her final thought before Grimmjow backhanded her out of his way.

"Move, you little worm, I'm not interested in you," he growled as she flew backwards from the blow. He had moved his arm in an almost offhanded manner, his blow seeming to lack any visible force behind it, but Rukia still flew through several walls that had managed to remain standing after the initial destruction of the area. She had already increased the flow of her reiatsu to protect herself from his attack, but despite that fact, Rukia still felt several ribs snap as she spiraled helplessly through the solid walls. Through it all, she was dimly aware of Ichigo shouting her name, but it stopped and was replaced by the sounds of battle.

_Ichigo..._, she thought dazedly as she struggled through her pain so that she could get up and see what was happening. She finally managed to force herself upright by using Sode no Shirayuki to help her stand. He ribs ached with every movement she made, but she finally stood and looked up in time to see Ichigo get slammed into the ground by Grimmjow.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried out as a cloud of dust and debris rose in a huge cloud that obstructed her view, she couldn't tell if he was ok or not. It had taken her awhile to realize the extent of her feelings for him, but she had known for awhile that in her heart, there was no one more important to her in the world. He was her strength that kept her from ever giving up; he was the hope that always saved her; and he was the courage that made her believe that all things in life were possible. Her heart stopped at the thought of him being seriously hurt or even dead, and she was just about to shunpo to his side when there was an explosion of power where he had landed.

"Bankai!"

The dust that obscured him whirled violently around and was blasted away by an explosion of black reiatsu. Ichigo stood tall in the middle of it as the thick haze surrounding him blew away with the release of his Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu. He glared angrily up at Grimmjow, and then suddenly he disappeared from Rukia's sight as he used shunpo to clash with Grimmjow in the sky.

"You're not fighting me seriously yet Ichigo Kurosaki!" Grimmjow shouted at him as Rukia watched in horror as he grabbed Tensa Zangetsu bare-handed to stop Ichigo's attack. "Hurry up and release all your power! I won't be satisfied unless I beat you at your full strength!"

With that, Grimmjow flung Ichigo toward another pile of rubble by his sword. Ichigo managed to regain his footing and slow his momentum so that he didn't crash into the ground again, but before he could fully recover, Grimmjow used sonido to appear right behind him, grab him by his head and slam him hard into a nearby wall.

"Hurry up and fight me for real already!"

Rukia couldn't take it anymore. She refused to simply stand there when the man she loved was getting beaten into a pulp. She knew the reasons why Ichigo was hesitating to use all of his strength and she knew that if she didn't do something his hesitation might get him killed. First of all, she knew that Ichigo remembered that Grimmjow had saved them once and he was reluctant to attack someone who had rescued them before, but she knew that even though Grimmjow had his own twisted code of honor, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them. Secondly, she knew that Ichigo was still afraid of losing himself when he used hollowfication. He had lost control before and had attacked his own comrades. He never said anything, but Rukia knew that he was always worried about losing control and becoming a mindless killing machine every time he used it. Even though he had no faith in himself Rukia believed in him. She knew that he had gained control of his inner hollow and that he would never let it take him completely over again. She had to snap him out of his indecision and fear before he got himself killed.

"Hadou 33, Soukatsui!"

Rukia cast her kidou and a blazing ball of blue energy hurtled towards Grimmjow. It was right on target, but Grimmjow leaped back and the shot flew past him and exploded on the ground a few feet away. She didn't actually think she would hit him with such a simple attack. She only wanted to distract him long enough so that she could release her Zanpakutou.

"Mai… Sode no Shirayuki!"

Rukia's Zanpakutou transformed instantly into its beautiful snow white form, its long pure white ribbon flowed gracefully around her. She immediately pierced the ground three times, each strike creating a brilliant white fountain of snow to emerge from the ground. She drew her sword back to her side and pointed it towards Grimmjow as he turned to glare angrily at her for interfering with his battle with Ichigo.

"Tsugi no Mai… Hakuren!"

A huge blast of snow erupted from her sword and encased Grimmjow in a mountain of ice. She knew from experience that this was only temporary, but she only needed enough time to wake Ichigo's fighting spirit. She quickly used shunpo to go to his side so that she could yell at him. She knew him better than he knew himself and she knew exactly what she had to say to him.

"Stand up, Ichigo! What are you doing by playing around like this?!?" she shouted at him, her voice at its most bossiest. Her connection to him was deeper and truer than anything else in the world and the words she knew he needed to hear flowed effortlessly from her lips. "The Ichigo I know isn't a coward who's afraid of himself. He wouldn't hesitate to use all his strength to defeat his enemies. Stop fooling around, Ichigo! Are you a man or aren't you?!? Or do you _want_ to get yourself killed?!?"

"Would you shut up, you annoying little munchkin, I know what I'm doing!"

Ichigo stood up slowly. He was breathing hard and was bleeding from the side of his head, but she could see a look of determination set in his eyes as he glared at her. The Ichigo that would not accept defeat stared back at her and she had a moment to feel her relief flood her before she heard the sound of ice shattering and felt a hand clamp roughly on to her.

"You're seriously starting to annoy me," Grimmjow snapped angrily as he grabbed the top of her head and flung her hard into a nearby wall. "If you want to die so badly, just wait till I'm done with Ichigo and I'll gladly kill you too."

When she hit the wall she could swear that every bone in her body must have broken, but she remained conscious despite the new wave of pain that flooded her. Despite her condition she felt Ichigo's reiatsu change and she knew that he had donned his hollow mask, but by the strength of it she knew he had not released its final form. Her speech apparently hadn't given him enough confidence to release all his power, but hopefully this form would be enough. She heard Grimmjow give an insanely gleeful laugh.

"Finally!" he shouted in satisfaction. Rukia was worried. She knew that this wasn't Ichigo at his most powerful, and she knew that Grimmjow had witnessed his ultimate hollowfication. Ichigo had defeated him once in this guise, but four years had passed since then and she was sure that Grimmjow had only gotten stronger. She raised her head in time to see Grimmjow draw his sword. He had been fighting bare handed the whole time before this. "Kishire, Pantera!"

Rukia raised her arm to protect herself as a whirlwind of power blasted forth and whipped dust and debris in her direction. When it finally cleared, she blinked to clear her vision and saw Grimmjow's panther like Ressureccion form staring eagerly at Ichigo.

"You're finally starting to get serious, Ichigo!" Grimmjow shouted as he rushed Ichigo with blinding speed. "Now hurry up and release the rest of your power! You know I won't take anything less than beating you at your full strength!"

The two of them were moving so quickly that Rukia could only catch glimpses of them when they paused to realign their strikes against each other. They finally slowed down enough for Rukia to be able to follow what was going on, and she stared, transfixed by the battle playing out before her.

Ichigo let loose with his Getsuga Tenshou and carved a huge slice in the land, but Grimmjow easily moved out of the way with cat-like agility. He then counterattacked with a mighty roar that sent shockwaves blasting towards Ichigo and caused the remaining structures in its way to be blasted apart. Ichigo swiftly used shunpo to come around behind him and released another Getsuga Tenshou at point blank range behind him. This one hit Grimmjow and now it was his turn to be smashed into the unforgiving earth.

_Thank goodness__…_, she thought with relief as she realized that he seemed to have the upper hand now although he hadn't released his full power. He had defeated Grimmjow once before in this form and it seemed that although four years had passed, it was still enough to defeat him. _You better win or else I'll…._

But before she could finish her thought Grimmjow suddenly burst out of the crater that his body had created when he was blasted into the ground by Ichigo, although he had been struck at point blank range, it didn't seem to have hurt him at all. He sped towards her, and before she had a chance to react he grabbed her by both of her wrists with one hand and lifted her off the ground. She struggled mightily against him, but he banged her hard against a wall and stunned her momentarily.

"Let her go, Grimmjow!" Ichigo roared at him as Grimmjow dangled her like a dead rabbit. Rukia tried to put her scrambled thoughts back together so that she could come up with a plan to free herself from his grasp. Although the blow was the main reason she felt confused, she was also disoriented because it seemed so out of character for Grimmjow to be taking a hostage of any sort when he was in the middle of a fight. He might have killed her for getting in his way, but he wouldn't have used her as a means to weaken Ichigo.

"Let's see if this will wake you up, Ichigo!" Grimmjow shouted, making his true intent evident as he crushed Rukia's hands in a vice like grip. She cried out involuntarily as she felt the bones in her hands break, but she soon realized that wasn't the worst thing to come. Grimmjow held her in front of him with one hand and with his other he shoved his claws deep into her. Rukia vision went white at the sudden pain and she started to lapse into unconsciousness. She was vaguely aware of Grimmjow flinging her body to the side, but her mind was already fading.

_Am I dying? _Rukia wondered as her body continued its journey to the ground. She felt no pain now and her body wouldn't respond to her anymore. Now that it seemed like her life was fading, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion and her descent to the ground seemed to take forever. As she fell, she had time to regret never telling Ichigo about her true feelings for him.

_Out of everything, I think that is the one thing in my life I wish that I could have done before I died__._

Rukia felt her body hit the ground and everything in her world went dark. As she floated in the darkness, she felt surprised as a strange feeling of peace came over her. When she had been about to die at her execution, before Ichigo had rescued her, she had spent many hours wondering what it would feel like when the end of her life finally came. She hadn't expected it to feel so calm and quiet, especially when her end had been so brutal.

_I hope you win, Ichigo, and I hope you find happiness after everything is over. I only wish I could be there to find it with you…_

After that, everything began to fade to black and disappear. Rukia was about to let herself go and sink into that deep dark abyss, but a desperate voice broke through her peace and jerked her back from the edge.

"Rukia!"

_Ichigo…?_

"Rukia, please don't die!"

Rukia swam back towards the edge of consciousness. Ichigo's need was able to reach her even though she had almost allowed herself to completely disappear. She could hear him chanting the same thing over and over again as he begged her to live. His need for her ignited her desire to live and she pulled herself out of the dark abyss of death. It was a difficult struggle because although falling into it had been easy, getting out was like trying to escape from quicksand. Death kept trying to suck her back into its grasp.

_I can't leave him alone like this…_

So she struggled back to him, and bit by bit she began to feel her body again. The first thing that hit her was the intense pain of all her injuries, but after the initial shock of it she could also feel Ichigo's arms wrapped around her and the wetness of his tears.

"Please, Rukia," he finally said as a heavy rain began to fall down upon them. Rukia wondered for a moment if she had mistaken the rain for his tears. "I love you… I need you…I promise to protect you next time so you better stay the hell with me! Please don't die!"

Rukia's eyes finally popped open in surprise to hear him say the words that she had waited so long to hear. Tears flowed out of her eyes and mixed with the rain falling from the sky. She could feel him shaking as he clutched her tightly to him, and she found the strength to respond to his pleas then. She slowly reached her blood stained hand up to him and gently cupped his cheek. He loosened his grip on her and stared at her in wide eyed amazement. She thought that she might have really felt tears earlier, but the heavy rain masked any that might have been falling.

"Stupid, Ichigo," she whispered as she struggled to maintain consciousness. She felt horrible right now, but at the same time her heart felt such an indescribable joy that she found that she could ignore her injuries for the moment. "You should make sure I'm dead before getting all emotional on me."

* * *

Thanks for reading!

The next chapter will basically be Ichigo's POV of this same battle. I hope you enjoyed it!

Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated!

Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!


	2. Chapter 2: Ichigo

Thanks for being patient! This chapter is a bit short, but I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Although I really wish it was, Bleach is not mine!

* * *

**Chapter 2: Ichigo**

I never thought about falling in love. It's not like it wasn't important or anything like that, but there was always more urgent things going on. My main goal was to become stronger so that I could protect everyone important to me, but I was so engrossed in that goal that I almost lost the one who meant the most in the world to me before I even realized that she was 'the one'. Maybe I should have realized that annoying, bossy little munchkin was the other half of my soul, but I guess you never realize what you have until you almost lose it.

Ichigo

* * *

"Rukia!"

Ichigo Kurosaki watched in wide eyed fear as his closest friend, Rukia Kuchiki, was smashed into a nearby wall by Grimmjow. She had put herself in harm's way to help him, and now she was getting hurt because of him.

_She should have gotten away instead of trying to help me! _Ichigo fumed, but his anger was directed at himself rather than Grimmjow or Rukia. He knew that it was his own fault that Rukia had to step in because he'd hesitated in using his full strength during this fight. He had only recently managed to gain full control of his Visored forms, and he was still worried that his inner hollow would take control of him again one day.

"Damn it!" he growled under his breath as he took one last look at Rukia's crumpled body on the ground. His anger flared again at the sight of Rukia weakly trying to get up, but he managed to get his jumbled thoughts and emotions settled into place as he refocused his outrage at Grimmjow.

Ichigo donned his hollow mask, his body tensed and ready to attack, and turned to face his opponent. He knew that he had to finish this quickly, so that he could take care of Rukia, but in spite of that, he only used the first release of his hollowfication, his insecurities about using his final release still preventing him from using his full strength. The first few times he had used it, his inner hollow had come much too close to taking him over. He had even hurt Ishida and his other friends before, and it was only luck that he hadn't killed any of them. After a lot of help and encouragement from Rukia and his other comrades, he had finally succeeded in keeping his inner hollow at bay. It never influenced him directly anymore, but he still preferred to be safe rather than sorry.

_I defeated Grimmjow once with my original hollowfication before I even perfected it, so I know that I can do it again now that I've mastered this level…_

Grimmjow interrupted his thoughts with an insane peal of gleeful laughter. He seemed disturbingly overjoyed at the sight of Ichigo's hollow mask.

"Finally!" he shouted in satisfaction, he looked like a smug cat who had just stolen a dairy truck full of cream. Ichigo tensed with readiness as he watched Grimmjow release his sword. "Kishire, Pantera!"

A blast of power burst forth from Grimmjow and kicked up a huge tornado of dust and debris that whirled violently away from him. Ichigo stood in silent attention as he waited for the cloud obscuring his vision to clear. As the last of the dust began to blow away, Ichigo was finally able to see Grimmjow in his Resurreccion form staring hungrily at him.

"You're finally starting to get serious, Ichigo!" Grimmjow shouted as he used sonido to rush him. He seemed to have become faster from the last time they had fought, but it was still slow enough for Ichigo to follow. "Now hurry up and release the rest of your power! You know I won't take anything less than beating you at your full strength!"

Ichigo didn't waste any energy in responding to him, and with a primal shout he burst forward to meet his oncoming attack. He met Grimmjow's first strike easily, his shunpo in his Visored mode on par with Grimmjow's speed. They shoved off from another and clashed again and again in the sky as they got a feel for each other and tried to find an opening in the other's defenses. Finally, Ichigo saw an opportunity and he shot Getsuga Tenshou straight at him. Grimmjow disappeared almost instantly from the path of his attack and simultaneously let out a mighty roar that sent shockwaves barreling towards him. Ichigo took advantage of the momentary pause between Grimmjow's attacks to shunpo behind him and use Getsuga Tenshou at point blank range. Grimmjow turned, but he was a millisecond too late in getting out of the way. The blow hit him with full force and he went spiraling at enormous speed into the hard ground below. Ichigo stared at the huge crater that was created on impact and waited for him to appear out of the dust that obscured him.

_Did I get him? I doubt it… I better wait for everything to clear before I go in_, he thought warily, but before Ichigo could make a move, he saw Grimmjow burst out of the cloud and make a beeline straight towards - Rukia.

_NO!_

That single word resounded through his entire soul as he rushed towards them in a desperate effort to put himself between them. He could feel his heart beating a mile a minute in fear and panic as he started to move faster than he ever had in his whole life, but he already knew that he would never make it. Grimmjow was infinitely closer to her than he was and before he had even made it a quarter of the way towards them, he already had Rukia dangling in front of him. Grimmjow held both of her small delicate hands tightly in his hands and he held her up so that her feet were at least two feet above the ground. Ichigo saw Rukia instantly begin to struggle against him, but Grimmjow simply slammed her into a nearby wall. Ichigo's vision went red as he saw her small form cease to move and go limp.

"Let her go, Grimmjow!" he roared in a voice suffused with anger, frustration, and fear. Rukia had always been important to him, but he never realized how important until this moment when she was in so much danger. His heart felt like it was going to explode in his chest as it beat like a panicked bird in his chest.

"Let's see if this will wake you up, Ichigo!"

The world slowed down as Ichigo realized in horror what Grimmjow was about to do. Everything happened in a matter of seconds, but to Ichigo, it felt as if it took an eternity unfold.

_No…_

Ichigo took one step towards them as Rukia's startled cry of pain echoed in his ears as Grimmjow crushed her hands.

_Not Rukia…_

He took another step closer as he watched Grimmjow draw back his free hand to run her through.

_No!_

One more step and he saw Grimmjow's claws burst through Rukia's body.

_Rukia!_

One last step and he saw the light of Rukia's life flicker and die in her eyes as Grimmjow yanked his hand out of her body.

_Not Rukia!_

Ichigo stopped running towards them as he felt his heart shatter with the sight of her lifeless body hanging in front of him. Grimmjow threw her body to the side like a piece of rubbish as he grinned evilly up at him.

"Are you ready to fight me for real now, Ichigo?" Grimmjow practically purred at him as he held up his hand, stained red with Rukia's blood, towards him.

Ichigo went completely still as he gazed blankly at Rukia's blood dripping from Grimmjow's hand. His breath moved in and out of his body in shallow gasps as he remained frozen from the shock of his sudden loss. He stayed that way for a few seconds and then something in him snapped. He let out a terrifying scream of anguish as a swirl of black reiatsu exploded from his body and wrapped him in a whirling black cocoon of darkness. The dense, black ball of spiritual energy seemed to constrict into itself for a moment before it exploded outward and created a huge crater directly below him. An utterly transformed Ichigo now stood in the sky, silently staring death down at Grimmjow. With hollow sockets for eyes and two demonic horns sprouting from his head, his final release for his hollowfication looked like the personification of the grim reaper from hell.

No fanfare, no epic speech – Ichigo uttered no words to his enemy, he only fixed him with a glare that spoke volumes about the instant death that he was about to deliver. Ichigo disappeared from the sky and was instantly at Grimmjow's side. He swung his sword with a blinding speed that nearly succeeded in slicing Grimmjow neatly in two, but in the last instant Grimmjow moved out of the way quickly enough to avoid death. Ichigo turned his head slightly and glared across at Grimmjow who was bleeding profusely from a deep gash across his side. Grimmjow had a surprised look on his face and he was breathing hard. It seemed as if the speed and ferocity of Ichigo's attack had caught him completely off guard.

"I guess this is it…," Grimmjow said as he straightened and gave a small smile. "I finally get to fight you full out."

Grimmjow let out a wild cry and rushed Ichigo with Pantera. He shot several explosive darts from his arms as soon as he started his mad rush towards Ichigo and they exploded all around him. The smoke from the explosions obscured Ichigo, but Grimmjow continued his wild dash towards him. Grimmjow lifted Pantera and brought it down on the spot that Ichigo had stood.

Ichigo lifted his hand and simply caught the sword bare handed. Grimmjow growled in frustration as he tried to wrench his sword out of Ichigo's grasp, but he may as well have been trying to pull it out of a cement wall.

"Die, Grimmjow."

Ichigo pointed Zangetsu at Grimmjow and created a cero from the tip of his blade. He fused it with the power of his sword, and then he let loose with a mighty blast that engulfed Grimmjow's entire body and destroyed everything in its path.

"No..., this can't be it…," Grimmjow gasped out as he started to disappear into air. "Not like this…"

Ichigo didn't waste any time savoring his victory, he released his hollowfication as he ran towards Rukia. He picked up her body and searched desperately for a flicker of reiatsu in her seemingly lifeless body.

_Please Rukia… please still be alive…_

He searched and searched, but found that he couldn't sense any spark of life in her at all. He felt himself be swallowed by despair as he clutched her close to him. His brain was telling him to hurry up and get her back to the Seireitei where they might still be able to save her, but his heart and soul just kept screaming, 'S_he's dead! She's dead!', _and that kept him paralyzed in the dirt next to her

"Rukia… please don't die…," he whispered brokenly as he clutched her body to him. "Rukia… please…"

_I've failed again…._

"Please, Rukia… don't die…"

_Why can't I ever protect…_

"Don't die…"

_The things that matter the most to me…_

"Rukia…"

_Why must I lose…_

"The people that I love…," Ichigo finally whispered as he finally felt tears overflow from his eyes and spill down his cheeks.

_I love Rukia, _he realized as he cried over her broken body. He didn't know why it had never dawned on him before because now that he was aware of it he knew that he had actually been in love with her for a very long time. He had just always assumed that she would always be there, but now it was too late to let her know. He would never have the chance to show her how much he enjoyed their time together; how much he relied on her unwavering strength and faith; or show her how beautiful he thought she was. Her violet eyes would never open again and he would never be able to show her how much she meant to him.

"Please, Rukia…," he cried out in desperation and anguish as a heavy rain began to fall, his heart hoping that she would somehow hear his words and come back to him. "I love you… I need you…I promise to protect you next time so you better stay the hell with me! Please don't die!"

Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch against his cheek. His eyes popped open in shock as he loosened his grip so that he could look at her face. Her violet eyes were open and her face was filled with pain, but he could see her smiling faintly as she cupped his cheek in her hand.

"Stupid, Ichigo," she whispered as tears flowed from her eyes. "You should make sure I'm dead before getting all emotional on me."

Ichigo felt as if his heart was about to burst from joy. Rukia was alive and he could tell by the look in her eyes as she gazed up at him that she loved him too. He started to lift her close to him again, but stopped when he saw her wince in pain.

_I have to get her some help. She may be still alive, but she won't last much longer if I don't get her healed soon._

Then, as if in answer to his need, he heard a familiar voice calling out to them.

"Miss Rukia, Kurosaki," Hanataro Yamada called out to them as he ran to them and dropped down next to Rukia's side.

"Oh, my," he said as he busily began to take things out of his white pack that he carried on his back. "These injuries are terrible. What happened here?"

"I'll explain later, Hanataro," Ichigo responded anxiously as Hanataro laid his hands on Rukia's wounds and began to heal her. "Is Rukia going to be ok?"

"She should be ok, but I need you to get back Kurosaki so that I can heal her," Hanataro answered briskly as he concentrated on healing her. He was normally the most passive and nervous person that Ichigo knew, but when it came to healing he always took charge.

"Kurosaki," an icy, cold voice called from behind him. Ichigo could feel the anger emanating from that voice like daggers in his back. "Why is Rukia so badly injured? What happened here?"

Ichigo stood and turned to face Rukia's older brother, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. He was glaring angrily at Ichigo with his hand resting on the hilt of his Zanpakutou, Senbonzakura. Ichigo explained what happened to him and he saw Byakuya's face get darker and more sealed off with every word. Once Ichigo was finished he looked like he was about to say something, but Hanataro's voice interrupted.

"I've gotten Miss Rukia out of immediate danger," he called out to them from Rukia's side. "But we have to get her back to Squad 4's barracks to complete her healing."

Ichigo turned to get Rukia so that he could shunpo back with her to the Seireitei, but Byakuya brushed past him and used shunpo to beat him to Rukia's side. He picked her unconscious body up and then glared across at Ichigo.

"You will stay away from Rukia from now on, Ichigo Kurosaki," he declared coldly as he walked towards him. "You are obviously no good for her."

"I don't think so, Byakuya," he snapped angrily back at him as they faced each other. "I love Rukia and I know she loves me. Nothing you do will keep us from being with each other."

"If you really love her, you will stay away from her," Byakuya said as he walked past Ichigo, a hint of anger coloring his normally emotionless voice. "You only put her in harm's way, and you obviously are a failure when it comes to keeping her safe."

"I know I screwed up this time," he shouted at Byakuya's retreating back. "But I won't let it happen again, and I swear that I'll keep her safe from now on."

Byakuya didn't answer him. He simply favored him with one last glare before he used shunpo and disappeared with Rukia from Ichigo's sight.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Reviews are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3: Byakuya

This is the final chapter for Saying I Love You. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly, Bleach is not mine!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Byakuya**

It started out as only a promise - a very important promise I made to my one true love before she died, but none the less, it was still just a promise. The only thing that mattered to me at first was keeping my word to her, but as time passed Rukia became more to me than a simple promise. She became as important to me as Hisana, but in a different way. She truly became my younger sister and an important member of my family. It is my feelings for her as her older brother that moves me to protect her now. It is something that is very hard to do with someone as strong minded as Rukia, especially with the type of company she keeps, but I will do what I have to so that I can keep the last of my family safe – even if it means keeping her away from the one thing she probably desires most in the world.

Byakuya

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki stood silently in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the makeshift medical field hospital that Squad 4 had set up. There were so many injured since the start of the war that field hospitals like these had been set up in all the districts to help take care of the wounded. Squad 6 had been assigned to guard the survivors and the Squad 4 medics in all the various locations.

Byakuya was very proud of the job his squad was doing because they had managed to fend off every threat that had appeared so far, although they had been spread thin by all the area they had to cover. He felt that the fact that everything ran so smoothly reflected well on his abilities as a captain as well as how well trained his squad was, but even though he trusted his men, he still made sure that he checked up on them every now and then.

While he made his way towards the central medical area, Byakuya took in the scenes of suffering that surrounded him. His face remained stoic as he surveyed row after row of injured lying in makeshift beds. He seemed unaffected by the myriad of tragedies around him, but if anyone could peek into his mind they probably would have been surprised by how much the situation actually moved him. He always projected a cold and unfeeling personality because he knew that maintaining control over his self was the best way to effectively lead his squad and the House of Kuchiki, but it did not mean that he was not saddened by how many seemed to have been hurt.

_I am glad that we are almost ready to implement our final plan of attack against Hueco Mundo, _he thought as he grimly surveyed the area. He had just returned from a Captains' meeting where they had figured out the last few details for what would hopefully be their last strike against Aizen. _Soon, we will not have any more losses._

He closed his eyes and sighed as he continued towards the main tent. He wanted to check in with the group leader here and get a status report, but he had to admit that he did have an ulterior motive for being here.

_This is the North 23__rd__ Rukon district station, so Rukia should actually be close by… somewhere…_

He searched the area for her reiatsu covertly, so that she would not realize that he was checking up on her. She was extremely proud in her own way and she would not have liked knowing that he was in the area to make sure she was ok. He finally found her, and from what he could sense it seemed like everything was fine. Her reiatsu levels seemed normal, and not highly elevated like it would be if she were in battle.

_All seems well. I suppose I should stop worrying so much, especially since this is a relatively simple assignment._

Byakuya and the other Captains had sent her and Ichigo Kurosaki to search the ruins of this district to look for survivors. He would have preferred to keep her training nearby, but because that foolish Ichigo Kurosaki kept insisting on badgering everyone and making a general nuisance of himself, they had sent him off with Rukia because she was the only one who could keep him from doing anything stupid. Byakuya could begrudgingly admit that he was an asset to their fight and he would play a key role in the upcoming battle, but Ichigo Kurosaki's impatient, hot headed personality annoyed Byakuya to no end.

_I honestly do not understand what Rukia could possibly see in him, _he groused, feeling thoroughly irritated at the thought of them as a couple. _Rukia thinks she hides her feelings well, but I think the only one who has not realized how she feels is the idiotic object of her affection._

Rukia's feelings for Ichigo Kurosaki were a small, but constant, annoyance because he felt that he was the wrong choice for her. It seemed to Byakuya that her life only seemed to get more complicated and dangerous the more she associated with him. On the other hand, he might not have anything to worry about because the boy was incredibly dense. Even though Byakuya and many others could swear that he loved her in return, the idiot seemed to have no clue about his own feelings.

_It is just as well, _Byakuya reflected with a very small sigh of relief. _Once this war is over then I can use my influence to find a new assignment for Rukia… one that will be very safe and far away from Kurosaki._

Byakuya was just about to enter the tent when he sensed the reiatsu of an attacking Arrancar. It was not in the area of the hospital, but it was relatively nearby, in fact…

_Oh, no…_

Byakuya flung out his senses as soon as he realized that he was sensing the enemy's reiatsu in the exact same area that he had just felt Rukia. Much to his dismay he could feel Rukia's reiatsu spiking extremely high, which meant that she was using all of her strength in an intense battle. He could also sense Ichigo Kurosaki's reiatsu fighting against the Arrancar, whom he recognized as the one they called Grimmjow.

_I have to go help them…_

Before Byakuya could even take a step in their direction, he felt Rukia's reiatsu suddenly vanish.

_Rukia…_

With his heart pounding in fear as to what the sudden, complete disappearance of her reiatsu could mean, he grabbed one of the members of Squad 4 just as they were passing by him.

"I need you to come with me," Byakuya ordered a testily as he gripped the upper arm of the person he had nabbed and turned them towards him. He felt his anxiety lift slightly when he realized who he had grabbed.

"B-but C-captain Kuchiki," Hanataro Yamada, 7th seat of Squad 4, stammered as Byakuya yanked him along. "I-I'm supposed to be going to give a report to Captain Unohana right now…"

"You can do so later," he replied shortly as he used shunpo to speed his way towards Rukia. "I have immediate need of you."

Byakuya moved as fast as he could go while carrying another person. His only regret with bringing Hanataro Yamada was that he was not adept at shunpo so Byakuya had to carry him. It caused only a small decrease in speed, but he was so anxious about Rukia that any delay seemed intolerable.

_Hang on, Rukia. I am coming for you._

Byakuya strained his senses to see if he could feel her reiatsu now that he was closer, and he felt his heart leap with hope when he finally felt a flicker of her light still shining amidst the frenzied battle that Ichigo Kurosaki was having with Grimmjow.

_But it is fading fast, _he realized as he pushed himself to move faster, his fear for Rukia's life giving him enough strength to go beyond his normal limits. _I am almost there Rukia, please hang on._

As Byakuya neared Rukia's location he felt Grimmjow's reiatsu suddenly vanish and he knew that he must have been defeated. He took one last step with his shunpo and arrived to the scene just as that incompetent Ichigo Kurosaki was finally confessing his love to Rukia.

"Please, Rukia," Byakuya heard him say to her as a heavy rain began to fall down upon all of them. Her bloody and broken body seemed lifeless as Ichigo Kurosaki clutched it close to him. "I love you… I need you…I promise to protect you next time so you better stay the hell with me! Please don't die!"

Byakuya was vaguely aware of the confused voice of Hanataro Yamada asking him what was going on, but he was only able to focus on Rukia's still body laying limply in Ichigo Kurosaki's arms. His hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his Zanpakutou, Senbonzakura, and he started to move towards them so he could rip that incompetent, idiotic boy away from her, but he was stopped short when he saw her small blood stained hand reach up to cup Ichigo Kurosaki's face.

"Stupid, Ichigo," she whispered in a voice that was so hoarse that Byakuya could hardly recognize it as hers. "You should make sure I'm dead before getting all emotional on me."

It was Rukia's face at that moment that stopped him from immediately pulling them apart. He could not remember if he had ever seen such a look of pure joy on her face since he found her at the academy. His breath stopped for a moment as a slightly different face seemed to superimpose itself over Rukia's. Hisana's face had often held that loving, joyful look that was on Rukia's face right now. Seeing that look reminded Byakuya of the happy times he and Hisana had share, and for a moment he felt as if Hisana was there telling him to let them be.

"Miss Rukia, Kurosaki," Hanataro Yamada called out, his voice snapping Byakuya out of his memories just in time to see him kneel down next to Rukia's side. Hanataro must have finally seen Rukia and realized why Byakuya had brought him along so abruptly. He caught a glimpse of the severity of Rukia's wounds and his momentary vision of Hisana evaporated from his mind. His anger towards Ichigo ignited anew as he took in the sight of the huge, bloody wound in the middle of her body.

_If I had not come with help she would have died before Kurosaki could have gotten her any…_

"Oh, my," Hanataro said as he busily began to take things out of his white pack that he carried on his back. "These injuries are terrible. What happened here?"

"I'll explain later, Hanataro," Byakuya heard Ichigo responded anxiously as Hanataro laid his hands on Rukia's wounds and began to heal her. "Is Rukia going to be ok?"

"She should be ok, but I need you to get back Kurosaki so that I can heal her."

"Kurosaki," Byakuya said with as much icy calm as he could manage. Despite his best efforts, he could not keep his tone as bland as usual because his anger was almost overwhelming. "Why is Rukia so badly injured? What happened here?"

Ichigo Kurosaki stood and turned to face him, his face a strange mask of anguish and joy - guilt and relief. He took one last glance over his shoulder at Rukia and Hanataro before he made his way over to Byakuya.

_I can tell by the way he looks at her that he really does love her, _Byakuya thought, his anger wavering a bit. That one glance reminded Byakuya how much Ichigo Kurosaki's love would probably mean to Rukia. He knew Hisana's love had meant the world to him, and he felt a flicker of uncertainty about his earlier decision to keep them apart. But a quick glance at Rukia's battered body reminded him why he needed to keep Rukia away from him. _But it is still not enough of a reason to allow them to be together if this is how Rukia will end up every time she is with him._

"I'm sorry, Byakuya," Ichigo said quietly, his eyes not fully meeting Byakuya's as he turned to face him. "I should have protected her better, but I hesitated and I …"

"I do not want to hear your excuses, Kurosaki," Byakuya quickly interrupted as his eyes narrowed in anger. "I just want to know what happened here."

Byakuya felt his scowl grow deeper and harder as he listened to Ichigo Kurosaki's explanation of the events that happened. He could not believe that the idiot had hesitated in using his full strength to quickly defeat Grimmjow. Byakuya did feel proud to hear how bravely Rukia fought, but he was worried at how recklessly she seemed to have behaved to keep Ichigo Kurosaki safe.

_I should have found a way to keep them away from each other sooner. Kurosaki obviously cannot protect her and Rukia will always risk everything to protect him._

Ichigo Kurosaki finished his account of the incident and Byakuya immediately took a breath to tell him to stay away from Rukia, but before he got a chance to say anything he was interrupted by Hanataro.

"I've gotten Miss Rukia out of immediate danger," he called out to them from Rukia's side. He had bandaged her wounds and she seemed to be unconscious now. "But we have to get her back to Squad 4's barracks to complete her healing."

Byakuya saw the young fool turn to retrieve Rukia, and Byakuya immediately brushed past him and used shunpo to get to Rukia's side before he could. He bent down and carefully scooped Rukia's small form into his arms. The grievous wound in her middle was bandaged, but he could see a slight staining of blood through them. He was relieved that Hanataro had probably used shinten on her because moving her with such a horrible wound would have been incredibly painful for her.

_I will protect you Rukia, _Byakuya thought as he stood up carefully with her body cradled gently in his arms. _After this war is over, I will make sure that you are no longer placed in anymore danger like this. I promise._

Byakuya turned to head towards the Seireitei and found his self staring directly at the cause of Rukia's pain and suffering.

_I will take care of this part of the problem right now._

"You will stay away from Rukia from now on, Ichigo Kurosaki," Byakuya ordered coldly as he started to head towards the Seireitei. "You are obviously no good for her."

"I don't think so, Byakuya," he snapped angrily back at Byakuya as they faced each other, his face hardening into a mask of stubborn determination. "I love Rukia and I know she loves me. Nothing you do will keep us from being with each other."

_What good is your love to her if you can't protect her?_

"If you really love her, you will stay away from her," Byakuya said as he walked past Ichigo, a hint of anger coloring his normally emotionless voice. "You only put her in harm's way, and you obviously are a failure when it comes to keeping her safe."

"I know I screwed up this time," he shouted at Byakuya's retreating back. "But I won't let it happen again, and I swear that I'll keep her safe from now on."

_You cannot be counted on, Kurosaki. It's an older brother's duty to protect his younger sister and right now the one she needs to be protected from is you._

Byakuya simply shot one last angry glare at him instead of answering. He held Rukia a little closer to him and then immediately used shunpo to get them to Squad 4's barracks as quickly as possible.

_I swear that once this war is over I will do everything I can to keep her safe. I just hope Rukia will understand and forgive me._

_

* * *

_Thanks for reading!

This chapter is so short because I just really wanted to write about Byakuya's feelings regarding Ichigo & Rukia's relationship. You can find the continuation of this story in Protecting What's Precious.

Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated!


End file.
